Trio of Doncaster pubs leading campaign to protect Britain's best boozers

Darren Burke, Communities reporter

Three popular Doncaster pubs are at the forefront of a campaign to protect Britain's best watering holes.

The Plough in West Laith Gate, The Corner Pin on West Street and The Coach and Horses at Barnburgh have all been singled out for praise by real ale group CAMRA as shining examples of Great British pubs in a campaign to stop bars closing.

A year to the day since new powers were introduced to protect pubs, the three are all registered as Assets of Community Value - and the number of ACV pubs across the country is soaring, according to the latest figures from the Campaign for Real Ale. Almost 1,500 are now registered and 300 have been added so far this year.

With 27 pubs closing every week, community groups have been coming together to save their beloved pubs by nominating them as ACVs.

Last year the Government announced new protections for pubs listed as ACVs – ensuring that owners apply for planning permission should they want to change the use of the building. Since this announcement, nearly 1,500 community groups across England have come together to list their local and protect them from redevelopment.

Prior to the scheme, nominated pubs were vulnerable to closing their doors forever with no planning protection in place. There were only 600 pubs nominated across the country in April 2015.

CAMRA’s Chief Executive Tim Page said: “It is fantastic to see so many community groups empowered to take action to save their beloved pub. It clear there is strong support for pubs across the country and many passionate campaigners willing to come together to save their local.

“However, with 27 pubs closing every week there is still more work to be done. Many pubs are still under threat of demolition or being converted to another use by large developers. Registering a pub as an ACV is the first step to saving it from this fate. We would like to see more community groups come together to save their local and for the Government extend planning permission to all pubs, regardless of ACV status.”

CAMRA branches and community groups would like to see 3,000 of Britain’s best pubs listed as ACVs by the end of this year, which will help stem the number of pub closures.

Community Pubs Minister Marcus Jones added: “The Great British pub is a national treasure. We brought in community rights to allow people to list the local landmarks most important to their communities – allowing them a fair chance to bid for them should they be put up for sale.

“To date nearly 1,500 pubs have been listed across the country, safeguarding these much loved establishments for generations to come.”